Replying To legendzxix:  "If the leap is taken from standalone provincial finals to standalone provincial championships, any agreeable promotion/relegation structure is possible. There has to realism about expected crowds etc. They'll have to get the splits right!"

Replying To Whammo86:  "Those Provincial championships aren't standalone.

Provincial champions enter the All Ireland, Provincial finalists get a playoff to qualify.

I'd argue that there are more rather than less relevant Provincial championship games given that the finals are now more relevant again."

Replying To Whammo86:  "Sorry I'd think the championship should be 2 groups of 8 rather than 4 groups of 4 and that's determining playoff placement.

Only 4 teams would be guaranteed a spot because a Provincial champion coming from outside the top 16 would need 2 teams playing off."

Replying To legendzxix:  "Hmmm. Not sure what point you are trying to make there?
The 2026 provincial finalists will all be seeded the same regardless of winning or losing. The finals themselves will essentially be standalone fixtures. All about the glory of winning on the day without any All Ireland benefit, reward or favourable seeding advantage.
Early round matches like DERRY v Donegal, MONAGHAN v Donegal, CAVAN v Tyrone, TYRONE v Armagh, ROSCOMMON v Galway, CORK v Kerry and DUBLIN v Meath will still have no impact on All Ireland qualification.
Between standalone provincial finals and so many "top games" with no All Ireland qualification relevance, the provincial link to the All Ireland is already weakened.
If the next interation of championship changes were to separate the provincials from the All Ireland, it doesn't seem such a drastic change. If the provincials are such sacred cows, they'll stand on their own feet not a bother. They are not far from that already."